Author
Topic: Half Pressed Wheels - How Make? (Read 1873 times)

I have some Ideas for some washed rind cheeses, but budget and my boarderline OCD is kicking in and they are telling me to compromise to get it done. I have thought that if I make a Tomme and "cut it in half" that would solve the problem...BUT I have read here, that others have had problems with the "cut" side not ripening properly or the rind not forming correctly. I have also thought about using two cheesecloth "bags" in the mould to separate the two halves, but I can already see the problems in that. Does anyone have any suggestions or experience with this kind of thing?

Trying to seperate two halfs with cloth will leave you with stuck cloth.Maybe use a piece of plastic as a devider but im concerned about even draining, its like having your mold perforated on just one side.

You can try cutting after pressing and using dry salting to form a rind on the cut side.

Logged

Amatuar winemaker,baker, cook and musician not in any particular order.

Trying to seperate two halfs with cloth will leave you with stuck cloth.Maybe use a piece of plastic as a devider but im concerned about even draining, its like having your mold perforated on just one side.

You can try cutting after pressing and using dry salting to form a rind on the cut side.

The sticking cloth is my main worry, I was thinking wax or parchment paper as a divider rather than plastic. It might not bind in the follower.

As a beginner, I've wanted to do the same. My method to date is to cut the pressed curd in 2 and separate these 'halves' with cheese cloth during the last pressing.Waiting to the last pressing makes it a little easier to separate the 2 cheeses when de-molding than if you try this method starting with your initial pressing.The cheese cloth separators are pre-cut to the mold diameter.My biggest problem is in getting the resulting 2 cheeses to be of equal size.Alternatively, I've seen stainless metal 'separators' for sale: http://www.cheesemaking.com/StainlessSteelFollower.html. I would think these could do the same as the cheese cloth separator, even though it is described as being placed between the curd and follower. Or, if I continue to do this, I may make my own 'separators' from cheap cutting boards (food grade plastic).Hope this helps.